Ecuador Fun Facts

fun facts

(Fun fact) The first documented use of OMG! is in a letter written in 1917. “Things people think are new words normally have a longer history,” Graeme Diamond, the dictionary’s principal editor for new words, told The Associated Press.

In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.

(Fun Fact) Yoshi Park lights up like a carnival at night, making it one of the prettiest stadiums to play in after dark.

a republic in northwestern South America; became independent from Spain in 1822; the landscape is dominated by the Andes

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador (Republica del Ecuador), literally, “Republic of the equator”) is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west.

ecuador fun facts – Moon Ecuador

Moon Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands (Moon Handbooks)

Seasoned traveler and journalist Ben Westwood leads adventurers to off-the-beaten-path experiences in Ecuador, from riding a train up the steep switchbacks of the famous Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose) to diving off of the Galápagos Islands, where the waters are abundant with ocean life. Westwood also includes several trip strategiessuch as the Culture and History Tour and the Outdoor Adventure Tourwhich cater to the diverse interests of travelers. Complete with information on exploring the colonial architecture of Quito’s Old Town and climbing volcanoes in Sangay National Park, Moon Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

These penguins came within a foot of our little boat (making me probably about 2.5 feet away from them at one point… I could have touched them if I tried). They were merrily playing with one another, rather oblivious to our presence, or at least seemingly. They could have decided it would be fun to play near the thing carrying all those strange upright noise makers.

Animals in the Galapagos are notorious for their tameness, and it really isn’t a lie. For almost every species we encountered, at least one individual would come close enough for contact, whether out of obvious curiosity and playfulness, such as with the young sea lions we played with while we snorkeled, or because they simple didn’t care that we were around, and they had no reason to inhibit themselves from getting closer (or allowing us to get closer). Now, it’s certainly mythical to say that all species in the Galapagos are like this, as the smaller organisms are definitely subject to predation, as they would be in any environment, and so things like crabs, small birds, and even some of the marine iguanas are a little skiddish at times, but that didn’t stop me from getting within a hands reach of each of these species as well (for the crabs you actually have to be a little sneaky).

By the way, this species is the northern most representative of the penguin radiation, and with this being the equator, it would appears as though they occupy the pinnacle of tropical environments. In actuality, these penguins are still sensitive to warm temperatures and can only survive in the Galapagos due to the cold waters brought by the Humboldt current from the southeast and the upwelling of deep colder water from the Cromwell current. In fact, during El Nino season when the waters in region warm considerably, many of the penguins postpone breeding until the next year, as there’s no longer enough food to risk to energy intensive process of producing and caring for young. So, life here is not necessarily easy, but they’ve already gained many behavioral adaptations, such as panting, hiding body parts that absorb heat, staying in the cool waters during the day, and keeping their eggs and chicks in the shadows of lava rock crevices.

Regardless of these evolutionary adaptations, they’ve been no match for recent human invasion, and are currently the most endangered species of penguin in the world with only 1,500 individuals left. And global warming isn’t making it any easier (and unlike the case for other animals, migrating to other locations that fit a more appropriate temperature is not a possibility when there are no more islands for hundreds or thousands of miles).

red-footed booby

perched red-footed booby

today’s fun fact-o-nature: the red-footed booby is the only subspecies of booby that nests in trees – occasionally providing the photographer with nifty backdrops like you see here.